More rallies, drive for signatures to be launched to force PM to quit before election

The campaign by academics against caretaker Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra intensified yesterday with a public forum at Chulalongkorn University vowing to "fight bravely against this vicious regime" and a group of Mahidol University lecturers launching a signature drive calling for the premier to step down.

The separate moves by university lecturers coincided with an announcement by anti-Thaksin campaigner Sondhi Limthongkul that he and his allies would hold a mass rally at Sanam Luang next Friday.

Last week, hundreds of lecturers, students and officials of the National Institute of Development Administration vowed at their gathering to defy a "corrupt regime".

At Chulalongkorn University yesterday afternoon, some 200 people including lecturers and alumni gathered before the monument of Kings Rama V and VI, the founders of the university, and vowed to stick to morality and to fight against a "vicious regime".

The CU Network for Ethical Democracy, led by Faculty of Arts lecturer Anant Laulertvorakul, called on students, alumni and the public to join discussions on people's participation in politics, the role of the media, and raising student's awareness on political participation.

About 600 people, mostly alumni and public members, joined the outdoor forum outside of the university's Central Library. Only a small number of students were drawn to the event.

The panel speakers were from the faculties of Political Science, Communication Arts and Medicine.

Anant said the campaign was showing the university's commitment in contributing to society. He asked the participants not to yell, 'Thaksin get out', but some people did just that.

Many members of the audience clapped loudly when speakers said Thaksin should be forced out of politics.

Several organisers of the programme, including Anant, political science lecturer Chaiyan Chaiyaporn and Millennium Institute director Wuthipong Priebjariyawat, had joined in a previous campaign against Thaksin organised by the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD). Chaiyan tore up his ballot card in protest during the April 2 election.

Outgoing Senator Wallop Tangkananurak and Senator-elect Kwansuang Atibodhi were among the audience.

Senator-elect Bhichit Rattakul, a former Bangkok governor, said he joined the assembly as an alumnus and two-term president of the university alumni association. "This is a movement we should be proud of. Educational institutions should be leaders in the activities that encourage people to discuss problems of the country," he said.

But he expressed disappointment at the small attendance of students in the forum.

Wadeethip Uaphongthanes, a first-year student at Chulalongkorn, who came with her parents, said her friends would rather study for the coming exams in a few weeks.

Communication Arts lecturer Ubonrat Siriyuwasak said people should express more of their opinions and become content providers - while the media should open more space to share ideas as citizens of the country.

Thirty-nine Mahidol University lecturers yesterday joined a signature campaign demanding Thaksin wash his hands of politics in order to end the political tension facing the country.

The lecturers said the current political tension is developing into a crisis and the country is facing increasing risk of the use of force by two opposing sides.

One side lacks trust in the country's leader as he has failed to clarify allegations of corruption and conflicts of interest, including political interference in independent organisations against him. The other side admires Thaksin due to the government's populist policies.

Elections cannot solve the conflicts between the two sides because if Thaksin returns to power, the crisis of faith in the leader will continue and the crisis will escalate into violence.

The group said to solve the political problem Thaksin must end his political career and allow the check mechanisms to work properly. The group also called on the public to have political tolerance and accept political differences and refrain from the use of force.

Meanwhile, anti-Thaksin campaigner Sondhi Limthongkul yesterday stepped up pressure against the PM by announcing plans to hold a mass rally at Sanam Luang next Friday to mark the first anniversary of the campaign against the caretaker prime minister.

"The rally might continue as long as the people deem necessary," he said, hinting at a plan to force Thaksin Shinawatra out of politics ahead of the new general election.

The rally is to be co-sponsored by the PAD, of which Sondhi is a leader, and will coincide with Thaksin's return from an overseas tour.

Sondhi said his weekly talk show, "Muang Thai Rai Sapda", will be broadcast live from Thammasat University's Small Auditorium today via the ASTV satellite station.

He said he suspected that Thaksin might flee the country if he failed to engineer his comeback. The caretaker premier carried 30 suitcases with him when he left for Finland on September 9, he said, suggesting this was a lot of luggage for a two-week trip.

Sondhi also called on the Election Commission (EC) to take its time to ensure a free and fair election instead of rushing the electoral process.

Provincial electoral officials should be reshuffled in order to root out partisan appointments made by the previous EC, he said.